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Simaudio I-5 and Dynaudio Contour S 1.4

My current system is a Simaudio I-3 driving a pair of Dynaudio Contour S 1.4s. I'm extremely happy with the sound so far, but am wondering if the upgrade to the I-5 may eke out some more detail. Both the Sims and the Dyns seem to complement each other nicely.

My concern is that the Dynaudio's tend to be a touch inefficient. While the 100W/Ch I-3 seems to drive them quite nicely, the I-5 shaves off a few Watts per channel in favor of a more refined sound (at least according to Sim's marketing).

I've also heard that the I-5 tends to sound a bit more subtle, whereas the I-3 has a more forward, energetic sound.

My question(s):
1) Does the I-5 really sound that much better than the I-3?
2) Does the I-5 still have enough juice to power the Dyn's?
3) Would (in your opinion) the I-3 or the I-5 pair better with the Contour S 1.4s?

I'm listening to the system in a relatively small room and pretty moderate volume. And, I have a separate subwoofer, so bass "slam" is less of an issue.

I'd appreciate any thoughts...

/* Jonah */
jonahsfo
niravp
55 posts
 
Borrow a W-3 power-amp from your local dealer and use your I-5 as a pre. Then decide for yourself if you could use more power.
jond's avatar
jond
3,400 posts
 
The new issue of HiFi+ magazine, no. 40 has a great review of the I-5, well worth checking out. The mag is available at most bookstores and it's the best HiFi mag on the market in my opinion. Whatever you decide, have fun and happy listening!
jonahsfo OP
4 posts
 
Just to complete the thread, I took the plunge and upgraded. Luckily, I was able to get a great deal on an I-5 LE, so it ended up being a bigger step up than I originally thought. Like all Sim gear, it will definitely take a while before it's fully broken in, but here a few initial impressions:

1) the power level appears to be fine. It doesn't seem to be that different from the I-3.

2) definitely a more refined sound than the I-3. While the previous I-3 delivers a clear "up-front" sound, the I-5 imparts a touch more smoothness to the speakers. there is now a lot more apparent detail to each instrument.

3) a huge improvement in soundstage. With the I-5 LE the sound is no longer coming from the speakers -- you can clearly hear instruments and voices in specific locations.

I'm very glad I shelled out for the upgrade -- I had no idea it would be this much better. The I-3 is an amazing little amp, but the I-5 LE is noticeably more refined.
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